rev'iisc'ed

happy graduates, with old friends after the convocation...

this tree is one of my friends at IISc ;-)

after a gap of five months, we have revisited IISc on the occasion of convocation... met all our old friends, those green surroundings, each and every plant, fallen leaves, new buildings, the work place, good old adviser, tea-board, coffee-kiosk, faculty hall, and last but not the least... the bird-watching session ;-)

It was a different feeling altogether... I felt strange when I received the degree certificate... though the certificate has no practical importance, except that it gives us a proof that we actually have done masters... there is something more to it... it reminded me of those first few days after we entered the institute... our expectation levels of life were really high, and we have tremendous confidence and fire inside to achieve anything under the earth... the two years of stay, for good or bad, has brought lot of changes in all our lives...

there were so many sleepless nights, thinking about future and working for the assignments... there were good, bad, sweet, bitter and funny moments... this short trip to our institute has brought back all those memories, tickling our heart... we got a chance to look back how we used to live here... how different we are now, compared to the secured and yet pressurized lives at IISc... I wish I have an opportunity to go back two years into the past and relive those couple of years, in a better way!!!

...reminds me of you!!!

the wind in my alley, the dust in my eyes,
the chill on my dirty raincoat...
reminds me of you!!!

a song half-written, a story untold,
an old man traveling alone...
reminds me of you!!!

the empty city streets that don't dream anymore,
an old midnight quiet that don't sound like before,
the bitter sweet memory of a home-made wine,
the elegy of an old sunshine...
reminds me of you!!!

red brick wall against the gray sky,
stands with the head held high,
reminds me of you!!!

the old post cards, the fragrance of plum,
the rusted kerosene lamp...
reminds me of you!!!

an undying smile that heeds through the door,
a rolling stone circus that don't sound like before,
an amazing grace that chosen empty soul,
the tree that never grows old...
reminds me of you!!!

source: lyrics of one of the beautiful songs from the movie "Bow Barracks forever"

last night...

last night... I was sleeping in my bed room... slowly, I started hearing some murmuring from somewhere... suddenly, those voices became clear... now, I could hear them properly... it's a female voice... laughing loudly, and crying in between... I suspected that it must be one of those girls from the next door... I got up and opened the door to see if everything is alright... nobody was there on the stairs... still, the voices are there... I guess, there was a male voice too, making some strange sounds... I went downstairs to see if somebody was there... the apartment security door was wide open and the watchman was nowhere around... something must be really wrong... a sudden chill went down my spine... I went out to find out from where the voices are coming... nobody was nearby, but I saw a short girl, dressed in white gown, walking away from the apartment gates... she must be around 16-18... I could hear her sobbing... I was cursing my watchman for not being there, and I started walking faster to reach her... no idea what I wanted to inquire her, but my curiosity didn't allow me to go back to my flat... I kept walking, and she was walking even faster... but, the sobs were still there... I have gained pace and started running towards her... I was even shouting at her to stop... but, no response from her side and she kept on running... I was panting like anything, and I was damn so tired to run in that midnight, all alone on the empty dark road... finally, she has stopped and I have reached her in another minute... something at the back of my mind was telling me "go back you idiot, it's not your business to care for an unknown girl, at this hour of the midnight"... I've slowly gathered up my courage and asked her, who she was and what she was doing there... she has turned back suddenly... oh my god!!! I was sweating all over my body...

huh... thank god, that was a nightmare!!! and everything was alright... and there was a bottle of water besides my bed to quench my thirst... uff... I think, I should stop watching thriller movies!!!

this is how one can kill time (of others)!!!

nimoi thai, kal blaz surm dianz!!! plai triu kloptambas lalab?? moshi kalai surmi vebli grai dol... wina kolpi mentdz indei :-) u kibr tiy, thal sum grani slay? nil kolpi thai triu kloptambas vebli.

anybody knows what this means? even I don't know... on one of those boring occasions, I got this idea through aprilslady and thought that I should give it a try... I have typed whatever I feel like... but, I have taken care to include punctuation marks here and there to deceive people... Out of 16 people I sent this mail, eight people have replied... in different ways!!!

Surya: baboi .......... entidhi emi ardham kaledhu :D (Oy my god... what is this? I didn't understand anything!!!) ha hha, it seems he didn't understand that this is a joke...

Girish: what is this? what happened? he is always too bothered about my mental health :-(

Deepika: eee baasha enti babu?????? (what's this language dude?) that's typical Deepika's response!!!

Arun: Hai Gopal, I tried to crack this but not at all useful. First thru Google translater and then second after rearranging... What is this first anyway?? Tell me some hint to crack this... that's how IISc scientists try to solve everything under the earth, no matter whether the solution exists or not!!!

Uday: entidi?? (what is this?) looks like he is annoyed with this confusing message!!!

Sivaram: this is too good!!! Siva always takes any new thing with a positive attitude!!!

Deepa: didnt understand anything :( tell me which language Deepa is too keen in learning foreign languages these days... looks like my experiment has aroused some enthusiasm in her!!!

Aarthi: helo.. what language is this?something wrong with u!! huh, yet another person who is suspecting my mental health!!!

I think the rest of the people might have thought it was one of those junk mails they receive every day... or they are too busy to give it a try... or they are too scared to ask for what it really means :-)

sweet november...

winter in November is a bliss... watching out from the window pane on a cold night, listening to some old melody, will always bring back those romantic memories... especially, I like those childhood days, where we were awaken early in the morning, and were taken to the well in our old house, for a head bath with that cold water... huh, that was really chilling and painful for the first dip... once that first was over, even that cold water feels like a little warmer than the air... I remember "kaartheeka pournami" on which, we used to fast for the whole day, occasionally pestering mom for some eatables, and do pooja in the night, watching the moon in the mirror... Of course, I didn't see anything meaningful in that whole process... but, something surreal was there in that ritual... a whole bunch of sisters-in-law, brothers-in-law, grandmas, grandpas, uncles and aunts of three generations were together... people were not that selfish or adamant about privacy and stuff... their boundaries were a little broader... now, the scenario has changed... we rarely attend any function... we hardly know our relatives... we hardly dare to step out of this concrete jungle to visit those wonderful, good-old places... everything has changed in the name of well-being... in the name of corporate race... here we are, with lonely hearts yearning for a hand to solace and a soul to rely on... so sweet is this November... bringing back those memories!!!

mummy, i need your love!!!

yesterday morning, when i was drinking tea along with my colleague, in front of my office building, i have seen a lady coming towards the office building... she was carrying her son in her hands... from her looks, i realized that she was looking for somebody... and my guess was right... another lady has come out from the first floor of the building and started chatting this and that with the first one...

the baby boy was so cute with his chubby cheeks, curly black hair, shining baby fat and those charming glistening eyes... the second lady was trying to make friends with this boy... he has hesitated for a while and took his time to make sure that she is not an evil creature... finally, he said his name in his own discrete syllables and shifted to the second lady's hands...

two minutes passed... i took no notice of them, chatting with my colleague... i heard the baby boy crying for her mom, from the car he was sitting in, "mommeeee... mummeee.... come with me to home... i don't want to go alone"... incidentally, it was clear to me that the first lady was not a visitor but a working woman in the same office building... this reminded me of those hell like residential school days, way back when i was ten years old, and how badly we used to wait for our parents on every weekend... though this boy is not in a residential school, i guess his situation is worse than ours... the hell with this corporate race, making these children miss the tender touch of their mothers, and hence making them emotionally lagging...

i wish i had some time to go and spend with this boy!!!

I wonder...

It is my usual habit to halt at the local road-side kulfi vendor, along with my roomies, to savor the luxury of the dessert... Keeba was buying kulfis for us... I have noticed a pretty woman standing near that shop, while her husband was attending a phone call sitting on his bike... I guess, she must be around 27-28... she wore a red saree in north-Indian style... she has that fair complexion with a color that can only be obtained by mixing gold and sandal wood color... she was stunningly beautiful and absolutely perfect in looks... I kept gazing at her without my conscience... in a couple of seconds, she has noticed this... a momentary feeling of discomfort appeared on her face, followed by an expression of happiness... I could observe that she is faintly trying to hide her smile, closing her lips... huh, that was really amazing... she looked like a star to my eyes... I don't know whether thinking/looking like this is insane or irrational on my part... but, the beauty in front of my eyes was really mesmerizing... her expressions shifted between smiling, naughtiness, teasing, admiration, happiness and so on so many times in those couple of minutes before we came out from that shop... her hubby was still on phone... after walking a bit, I asked Keeba, "shall I go back and buy another kulfi?"... he understood me and said yes... ha hha, somehow I didn't go back... but, as the couple passed us by on their bike, she has given the same naughty smile on her face while looking back at me...

I wonder what is hidden in that smile... I feel jealous for her husband's luck... I guess, that calls for a disturbed sleep tonight!!!

weekend masti...

hill with flowers...

koyna river...

during boat shire in koyna river...

view from the ghat roads...

now... this is called beauty of nature!!!

Once I got my first kiss, life at Pune became more comfortable and enjoyable... my long lasted dream of roaming on a bike and going for long rides has come true... recently, we had two trips... on the first weekend, we have visited Balaji temple located in Narayanpur around 45km from Pune... early morning ride on Pune-Bangalore highway was too good... leaving aside whether one believes in god or not, the place is worth watching... moreover, unlike many other temples, this one is being maintained very clean... an exact replica of Tirupati Balaji temple... all corners of the temple are being maintained with so much of care... they are cleaning the area with vacuum cleaner... not using any haarathi or kumkum to maintain the cleanliness... unlike other temples, you can get a free laddu for free here... security is tight and the place is extremely pollution-free and clean... if anybody is planning to get married in a temple and also want the place to be clean and noise-free, i guess this is the right place!!!

the following weekend, we risked with a long ride on bikes... we have travelled around 400km in two days... visited places like Panchgani, Mahabaleshwar, Tapola etc... if one starts early in the morning from Pune, the ride on those misty roads will be awsome... going through the tunnel of around 1.5km span will leave one with a feeling like travelling in a video game... the highway is four laned, and two-lanes sometimes... after travelling around 60km from Pune, there will be a ghat road, which is a single line two-way road, which spans around 20 plus km, offering you spectacular view of the surround greenery... once the ghat is road is over and the road is straight, there will be a right turn which leads to Panchgani... the road, though not comparable to highway, is good enough for a comfortable ride... once Wai is crossed, ghat road starts again...

Things that must not be missed there...

Parachute gliding!!! they charge 1500 bucks per person, but the feeling of flying with wings is worth more than what they charge... once, gliding starts, the floating feeling is really awsome... one can comfortably call their loved ones from the sky... it is a different experience altogether!!!

Table land... finding a flat land on a hill top, that too at an altitude of more than a kilometer is rare... this table land, located at Panchgani spans more than 3-4 square kilometers... one can see the beauty of the nearby river and greenery from there... no matter how sunny is the day, you won't get sweatting or thirsty... the cool breeze will relax us like anything!!!

Tapola... again, one has to travel around 25km from Mahabaleshwar on ghat roads to reach this place... the ghat road is almost completely traffic-free... the ride is too comfortable and thrilling... one should not miss the freshly made tea by the local grandpa... on the way, there is a point called "siva darshan", from where the river can be viewed in the best angle!!! the road reaches an end at the boating point... the 45 minutes boat shire in the koina river is worth trying... one should not miss the sunset view from any of those ghat road turnings... instead of going for hotels in the Mahabaleshwar, we have chosen to stay in Puja farm house, located in the middle of Tapola and Mahabaleshwar... the night stay is too cool... there is nothing but cool breeze, silence, moonlight, and those melodies by nightingales!!! one cannot escape those memories of loved ones if it so happened that they come here without them!!! perfect location for a honeymoon ;-)
Pratapgarh fort... around 22km from Mahabaleshwar... this place, where shivaji used to rule long ago, is worth visiting... butter milk served here should not be missed... there will be lot of spring water streams on the ghat road way to this place from Mahabaleshwar... it will be interesting to see the strongly built fort and their architectural marvel in those good old days!!! there are places where you can have fun of trying horse riding!!!
if one has the energy to ride on bikes for two days continuously, and has a heart to feel the beauty of nature, this trip is worth making... October to May is the right time to make this trip... Now, I have started liking Pune life... not because Pune is good, but being the places around Pune are good!!! All you need to enjoy life here are, good pay, bunch of friends, bikes and a little bit of enthusiasm!!!

this thing called love...

LOVE... some people simply say it's just a four letter word and it's----- bosh!!! on the other hand, the same four letter word occupies the whole thought process for some!!!

this thing called love... makes one admire even a falling flower... makes one to kiss the ugliest kid... makes one smile even at the extremely difficult times... makes one to hug the tiniest gift that reminds the loved one, and feel as if that's the greatest possession on the earth... makes one sleepless even after a tiresome day... makes one feel nothing is important... makes one wonder how life would have been if this is not there... makes one discover the different person in himself/herself... makes one see beauty in everything that comes their way!!!

this thing called love... makes one feel jealous... makes one feel the distress... makes one frustrated... makes one feel nothing else is important... makes one blind to realities... makes one deaf to conscience, and listen only to heart... makes one go crazy at times... makes one so sad and down... makes one wonder why he/she is still alive and for whom... makes one behave so silly and possessive... makes one forget the self and yearn to be somebody else... makes one laugh at oneself for all that stupidity... makes one fearless to death!!!

this thing called love... is so mysterious!!!

shades of life...

things are going in right direction and comfortable pace... when there is nothing to think or nowhere to direct the thoughts, surroundings make us wonder... everything around us will be interesting... here are some of the things that caught my attention during last few days...

i was in a fast food centre along with my roomies on a fine evening... krish was ordering pani puri and anji was busy on phone... there came a charming young man, with a thickly grown beard, focused eyes, and a serious look... a boy of around 10-12 years was asking him to help him some money... this is a very common scene... what is interesting is the way the young man responded... he asked the boy why he needs that money... the boy answered that he is hungry... this young man told seriously that he won't give money but he can buy whatever he wants to eat for that hour... boy answered jubiliantly that he wants to eat panipuri... young man asked whether he needs one plate or two... the boy told he wants two plates of punipuri... the young man got down from his bike and bought two coupons and gave it to the boy and rushed out of the scene instantly... my salute to this young man!!!

on another day, we were roaming on the busy roads of shanivarpet... at one of the signal points, there stopped a couple on a bike... uncle was looking fair and handsome... more than that, he was looking happy... aunt was a bit plump and chubby, wearing a light colored silk saree... while uncle was looking this side and that, catching glimpses of those shortly dressed girls around, aunt passed her hands gently through her hubby's hair and pulled his cheeks... she whispered something in his ears and i could see the tickling sensation that he felt... how lucky is this guy!!!

i was in an auto towards my office on one of those busy mornings... the road was slightly slippery due to the previous night's drizzle... some guy was going on a bike ahead of our auto... he looked very energetic and a healthy expression was there on his face... moments later, his bike got slipped and the fallen bike dragged him on the road to almost 100 metres on the road... there was no consciousness... only his body was giving shaking with pulses... while i tried to get out of the auto (though i don't know what i should/can do), the auto driver scolded me and paced the auto to drop me at the destination... how dramatic and uncertain is our life!!!

good morning!!!

getting up early in the morning is a difficult task... but, it has some advantages if we can make it... some of the snaps that i have captured the other day during sunrise... thanks to my "first love", Sony Ericsson w830i...

sunrise view from NDA area, near Chandini Chowk, Pune

bamboo bushes with a backdrop of sunlight...

nice place to go for a walk, early in the morning...

18 facts no one wanted to know about me...

1. Pick out a scar you have, and explain how you got it.

A small scar on my chin which is visible when i don't shave for long time ;-) i got it when i was 5, during one of those overconfident attempts to prove my marathon skills ;-) I remember those days when my classmates used to make fun of me seeing that bandage on my chin in the shape of a cross!!!

2. What does your phone look like?

It's a black colored rectangular parallelepiped with edges curved... buttons showing kannada letters along with numbers... moreover, it looks like my sweetest companion who never bothers me holding it as i wish ;-)

3. What is on the walls of your bedroom?

There was a spider at the corner of the ceiling, resting peacefully in its newly built house after my recent attack during the last weekend... perhaps, it won't bother even if i attack it the next time too!!!

4. What is your current desktop picture?

A romantic snapshot showing an young couple french kissing each other... interesting part is that their faces are not visible in the snapshot... only their tongues and their expressions!!!

5. Do you believe in gay marriage?

he hhe... no idea!!!

6. What do you want more than anything right now?

An "yes" from my girlfriend ;-)

7 . What time were you born?

Around 6:30 on a september evening... my mother tells a lot about the dreadful cyclone that was there, and how they have struggled to arrange for minimum amount of lighting and food in that bad weather... exactly 24 years later, my nephew was born with same astral configuration... incidentally, the cyclone, power cut and other scenes repeated just like mine... now, this is called coincidence!!!

8. Are your parents still together?

YES... the very first thing that makes me believe "wonders do take place in real life too"... :p

9. Last person who made you cry?

my father... too much of caring to bear... he always talks as if my age is assumed my age reduced by 20 years!!!

10. What is your favorite perfume / cologne?

perfume??? cologne??? i don't use eigher... but, the other day, when i was on the escalator in shopping mall, a girl was standing besides me... that fragrance is still in my nostrils... awsome!!!

11. What kind of hair/eye color do you like in the opposite sex?

As long as there is enough hair and no baldness, color doesn't matter... of course, i hate those fluorescent shades that these hi-fi girls are wearing these days!!!

12. What are you listening to?

One of my colleague was explaing about his achievements in the recent project to his teammate... uff... boring!!!

13. Do you get scared of the dark?

my answer is "No" as long as there are no mysterious sounds around... i am comfortable in darkness combined with silence!!!

14. Do you like pain killers?

pain killers??? so stupid... the pain that can be killed by a pain killer doesn't need to be killed... and the pain that really kills you can never be killed by a pain killer!!!

15. Are you too shy to ask someone out?

again my answer is "no" as long as the other person is not too shy to say "yes" :p

16. If you could eat anything right now, what would it be?

hmmm... this looks like a mouth-watering question... i would like to eat the "pesarattu" made by mom, with lot of ginger, garlic, chilli, jeera and other stuff!!!

17. Who was the last person you made you mad?

aaaahh... that is none other than one of my colleague, who just can't stop talking about anything under the earth, without even faintest idea of what that actually means :-(

18. Who was the last person who made you smile?

someone who has sent me the funniest message in the morning!!!

PS: I have taken up this tag from silverine

snapshots from hell... the end!!!

it's more than two months after I have left my alma mater, Indian Institute of Science... some memories to conclude the snapshots from hell...

it was 27th July'05, a cold morning in Bangalore, that we set our first foot in IISc... we are very much delighted to find few enthusiastic senior students, who came to receive us from the railway station... I know none of those sitting with me in that cab, which took us to the institute... while many of the then current students were walking here and there with books in their hands and glow in their faces, we were sitting on our luggage in front of the hostel office, just like refugees, waiting for the registration... all the delusions that we will be given hi fi rooms were shattered when we entered into those old hostel rooms, where visibility was poor, walls were seeping, and bathrooms unattended!!! of course, those rooms were still prestigious as they have given shelter to many great minds over the last many decades... the whole day went by in trying to make contacts with the new faces, finding the routes etc... we were given a welcome address the very next day in the faculty hall... the scenario faintly resembled the welcome address for John Nash and his batch mates in the movie "A beautiful mind"... we were thrilled to know that the institute was an outcome of the discussion of JRD Tata with Swami Vivekananda a century ago (you can have more information here)... and we were here, to carry on with the standards, and do something... all the faces were very enthusiastic, bright, and nervous at the same time... on the very first day, we were told by the faculty that life at iisc will be hectic, just like hell... and they have proved the same, as days and months passed!!! so, that was the starting point, with lots of hopes, dreams and expectations...

a semester passed by... there were countless situations where we felt all alone... first time in my life, i got less than 10 marks for a test conducted for 100 or so... how can this situation be compared to my four years of undergraduate life where i have never scored below 80 percent... ha hha, that's what we were supposed to learn at this place... learn that life is not a bed of flowers... i have seen almost all of my batch mates crying to tears when they perform badly or got bad grades... i even remember the day i sobbed in front of my seniors that i wanted to leave this place and do something else, rather than continuing with this poor performance and harsh criticism by professors...

well... we sustained finally, and changed the course of our direction... came out of those high expectations from oneself and started taking life a bit easier, while still putting a little bit of effort to meet the requirements... as another semester is finished and we were announced that there is no more course work, we got wings all of a sudden... there was lot of free time and space... institute started looking more beautiful... the same roads, the same trees, the same buildings, and the same people... but, something has changed inside... since the worst period was over, our eyes started to recognize the beauty of this place and its importance in life...

the coffee board, the tea kiosk, the department corridor, the TMC canteen, the gym-cafe, the aerodrome, and the jubilee park... every corner of the institute has its own connectivity with us... the much awaited placement session lasted for a couple of months, leaving us in trance... finally, everybody has got selected and finished thesis work and presentations... some satisfied with their performance, some left with bitter experiences with the whole degree, and some with no feeling at all... at last, the two years of iisc life is over!!! only those memories, lessons, affections, and relations are left...

only after leaving the institute, that we realized how beautiful the life at iisc was... though i have addressed the institute as hell, it was the most beautiful place that i have ever lived... so, that calls for the end of the snapshots from hell!!!

PS: also read snapshots1 , snapshots2

few hours without a mobile...

just now, i had a training class of 3 hours duration... haaaa... such a boring thing to do on a weekend... cuddling in the rug till the rug, reordering the flat, cleaning my FIRST KISS until it shines, or whatever on the earth will be more exciting on a weekend than coming to office to attend a lousy seminar... as soon as i was out of the conference room, i was searching for my mobile... my portable, cute, shining, small friend who never bothers me irrespective of how i handle that... uff, i forgot it at my flat... almost, like losing one of my limb... I can't send some funny thought to my colleague, about the boring lecture... i can't hear my loved one's voice... i can't play games... ooops... few more hours without my mobile, that too in the conference room :-(

life can be funny...

the other day, some X was talking to me... this is to know how wild guesses could be...

X: sooooo, you are miste...r Krissshnaa???
G: no, I am Gopal...
X: oh... I thought you must be Krishna... sooooo, you have finissshed your doo..ctorate???
G: no, I did my masters...
X: oooh... masters innnnn compu..ter science???
G: no, masters in chemical engineering...
X: oooh... ok ok... sooooo, yoooou did your masters from IITB???
G: no, I did from IISc...
X: soooo... you went to masters after sommmmmme work experience???
G: no, I went directly after my undergrad...
X: soooo... you must be from UP... right???
G: no, I am from AP...
X: ooooh... i thought you are from UP... sooo, where in AP???
G: Kakinada
X: Kakinada??? it is near Hyderabad... right???
G: nooooo... it is near Visakhapatnam...
X: ooooh... Visakhapatnam is in AP???
G: hmmm... one of the beautiful cities of the state!!!
X: ok Gopal.... if you have any doubts, you can come to me for clarifications...
G: sure... i will come to you anytime if i have doubts...
X: no... not any time, but sometimes!!!

ufff... there ends the conversation ;-)

can we be more sensible?

since last four days, all the roads and main centers are occupied with ad hoc Ganesh temples... keeping aside the sentiments of people, it is surprising to see the way the whole process is being celebrated... within a span of 1km of roadway, there are more than five points where these ad hoc devotional places are arranged... all of the groups are competing with the size of the statue that is erected there... not just the size of the status, but the wattage of the speakers they arrange... lord Ganesha himself can answer where the hell these people got permission to play those loud speakers, right in the middle of busy residential area!!!

lord Ganesha, whose statue is located at the nearest point to the speakers, must have already gone deaf for lifetime (in fact, for his whole life cycles to come) and he can no longer hear the pleas of people, in spite of his large ears!!! sadly enough, there is no single song that is devotional... day starts much before 5AM with a song "meri naseeb mein tu hi tu" followed by "sexy lady on the floor" and so on...

lord Ganesha must be muttering to himself "sudharjaa beta"when he sees the 'pujari' staring at the display by a modern-dressed young girl who came to offer pooja... funny enough is the publicity on display for the people who are organizing these things...

every time I see these ganesha idols being worshipped, i only think the fate of these man-made forms of god being thrown at the local dump yard after the nine days event :-( needless to mention about the stringent security needs to avoid any casualties between people, who always try to find reasons to fight!!!

I dream for the day when people celebrate the 'spirit of unity' as their religion, 'brotherhood' as the motto and 'live and let live' as their policy...

my FIRST KISS...

finally, i have got a bike of my own... honda shine featuring 125cc, 10.3 bhp, 65kmpl... I have named it as my FIRST KISS... boo hoo to Pune public transport ;-)

jab kabhi...

jab kabhi chand na ho... andheri raat ho...
darna kum hoga mujhko... agar tum saath ho...

jab kabhi baadal chaaye... ya ghani barsaat ho...
hogi khushi har ek boond mein... agar tum saath ho...

is jahan mein koi mera ho bhi ya na ho...
har ek lamha bhar jayega roshini se...
bas agar tum saath ho...

jab kabhi aansoo aaye... ya buree saugaat ho...
muskuraaloonga main to phir bhee... agar tum saath ho...

tum yahaam ho to saari duniya hi idhar...
saare armaan khwab saare ban gaye hai ab tumhaari ek nazar...

jab kabhi dil ghabraaye... saamne maat ho...
jeet ke main dikhlaaoonga... agar tum saath ho...

jab kabhi hansde aalam... khushiyom ki baaraat ho...
zindagi hogi jannat... agar tum saath ho...

boring...

BoRinG bOrInG BOriNg boRInG BoRiNg bORinG BOrRInG boRInG BoRiNg bOrInG BOrInG boRInG BoRiNg bORinG bOrInG BOriNg boRInG BoRiNg boRInG BoRiNg BoRinG bORinG BOrRInG boRInG BoRiNg bOrInG bOrInG BOriNg boRInG BoRiNg bORinG BOrRInG boRInG BoRiNg BOriNg boRInG boRInG BoRiNg BOriNg boRInG BoRiNg bORinG BOrRInG boRInG BoRiNg bOrInG bOrInG...

the namesake...

I have read this touching novel 'the namesake' recently, which kept me reading to the end in one stretch... A story about an Indian family shifted to the land of opportunities, America, and settled there... Ashoke, the father of the protagonist Gogol, met with a dreadful accident during his train journey, when he was reading the short stories by Nikolai Gogol... the same accident, which almost takes him to the doors of the death, motivates him to move to a foreign land to pursue his higher studies... he gets married to a bengali girl, Ashima, during his Ph.D and builds his own world there in that foreign land...

Ashoke names his son by the name of his favorite author, Gogol, the book of whom he was reading during that dreadful accident that haunts him throughout his life... Gogol, along with his sister Sonali (gradually converted to Sonia due to her American ambiance) grows up with a mindset of considering himself truly American... Later, Gogol officially changes his name to Nikhil after numerous embarrassments and other inner feelings... Then onwards, the story goes on describing how he goes to India with his parents, how he hates that ambiance, his two unsuccessful love affairs, his father's sudden death, and finally his unsuccessful marriage with a girl names Moushumi, who turns out to be unfaithful to him... Finally, his mother moves to her motherland leaving Gogol and Sonia to their individual lives...

Jhumpa Lahiri, the author of this novel, starts this story with Ashima's feelings when she was expecting a child... the story takes the readers to their innermost self, dwells out those memories of childhood, points out our way of behaving with parents, and finally the intricate difficulties of typical metro/cosmopolitan lifestyle... a novel worth reading at least once, which leaves us with a nice feeling... just like feeling the touch of a dew drop after a chillingly cold winter night!!

PS: thanks to Deepa, who has gifted this book to me!!!

pune...

surrounded with greenery, Pune is a medium sized city with a lifestyle of its own... somebody who lived in a city like Bangalore for quite sometime and shifted to Pune without having any local acquaintances, is likely to get cheated by auto drivers, at least once... minimal knowledge of hindi is a must for a smooth survival here... few goodies about this software city that i have observed so far...

first and foremost thing to be noticed is its pleasant climate... we can feel like in an air-conditioned room most of the time... though monsoon season brings some irritation along with its beauty, it is quite comfortable weather to live in...

wherever you go in the city, there are always some buddy shops selling native marathi dishes like vadapav, poha etc. one can't help admiring the taste of vadapav if he takes it in a good stall... tiffins in a road side buddy are much more reasonable in prices and better in taste compared to that is available in restaurants... and the food is hygeinic too...

the 'dahi handi' event that takes place on janmashtami is celebrated too good here... the spirit of unity, tradition, and strength are well displayed... it's an awsome event that should not be missed...

people are never too much bothered about traffic rules here... people might be too time conscious to follow the rules, i guess ;-) even then, the mishaps are very few, since people are showing a suitable driving sense to assure enough safety...

last but not the least, gender bais is not found that much here... no separate seats or entrances for gents and ladies in public buses and other common modes of commutation...

except the poorly maintained public transportation, muddy roads on rainy days, and dusty atmosphere on a sunny day, this is a nice place to spend joyously... provided, one has enough money to afford!!!

unanswered...

when the rest of the world is moving ahead... moving ahead on a path that never ends... passing through a myriad of phases... leaving everybody puzzled... not knowing the answer for 'what next?'...

when the rest of the world is moving ahead... i am here... i am here, standing still... puzzled with those countless emotions... those countless feelings... unidentified pains... and, unanswered questions...

the dew drop hanging on the lonely leaf of the banyan plant, grown from the corner of my balcony, is making me wonder... making me wonder 'how this tiny thing has acquired so much of beauty out of nowhere?'

the dog lying besides the road, its leg half crushed by the ruthlessly blind city bus driver, and its hunger never fully satisfied, is asking me... asking me 'in what way you are better than me?'

the golden colored cleavage of the girl in a violet silky top, casually exposed by her while standing in the checkout counter of the grossery store, is questioning me... questioning me 'why the hell are you gaping at me? you don't have an invitation here'

the shapeless awkward stone, lying besides a busy traffic road, decorated with fresh garlands, turmeric and incense sticks, is troubling me... troubling me with a thought 'when will these people be self-reliant rather than blindly worshipping some silly stones'

the clear sky in the night after a day full of rain, with its romantic blue color and added decoration of stars, is throwing me a puzzle... a puzzle 'where is your destination among these stars?'

the last leaf on the unnamed tree in front of my college building, turned to brown and dry after its trimphant longer life than its peers, and finally falling to the ground, is inquiring me... inquiring me 'you will be like me someday. when shall we meet?'

updates...

again, it is been long after updating the blog. now, i am able to see the real corporate life. every morning, i get up with a wish "today, i will write something". by the time i reach my office, the horrible bus journey and the gloomy office ambiance makes me sick and skip the act of writing! yes, that's how the past three weeks have gone out of my hands. few updates!

reading Fountain Head by Ayn Rand. i must say that i fell literally in love with this book. beautifully portrayed characters like Dominique, Roark, Wynand etc. are really wonderful. at first, i was wondering why a person needs eight complete years to finish a novel. but, when i am actually going through each page and each line, everything was so perfectly written. i was beaten... beaten many times on my opinions by many situations in this novel. but, at the end, it's a lovely experience.

visited Lonavala with my friends. This is a place, around 65km from the Pune city. filled with green lush and cloudy hills, this is must place to visit. monsoon is adding addtional beauty to it. it's a beautiful feeling when the clouds actually cross your body and drench you with the condensed rain drops. added to these beauties, the journey on the expresshighway connecting Pune and Mumbai is awsome.

it's my dream of buying the bike AVENGER since long. but, i guess i will not be able to afford it with my present financial status. still have couple of weeks to travel in these lousy Pune buses before enjoying the ride on my own bike.

slowly, life at Pune is getting OK... waiting for some more good moments from this Pune life!

new life...

it's almost more than three weeks after my last post... nothing new to think about but everything new to experience... finished my masters with flying colors... of course, that ended with painful process of giving send off to friends and leaving my good old institution with a heavy heart...

joined in the job, for the first time in my life... lost in understanding this corporate world... Pune life is exactly opposite to what i imagined it to be... i imagined it to be a cool, peaceful and pleasant city... on the other hand, people are really in a hurry here... costly room rents, poorly maintained traffic, loads of pollution, buses without name plates, dust always flying on the roads and so on...

a beginning to my new life, i guess!!!

reminiscences...

Two years of stay at IISc has come to an end with this week... too many wonderful moments to count... lots of fun... personally, everybody in our batch has decided to take a break from studies... leaving the institute one by one... i can see that this place is being deserted... of course, that is only to be filled back with fresh and energetic faces... here I am, introducing all my batch mates... who shared joy, happiness and difficulties together...

Lakshmanan: most sincere of all... never compromises when it comes to rules and regulations... "work is worship" is his philosophy of life... this is first time I am seeing "sincerity personified"...

Girish: a man with standards... highly difficult to convince him... notorious for his red-hottedness... his regular attire is in a long lab coat that covers his whole body ;-)

Marimuthu: another work-minded master piece with signs to prove the Darwin's theory of evolution... known for his broadcasting abilities and 24x7 working capability... aspires to be a professor at IITM in future...

Santosh: ever-smiling smart boy with incredibly high passion for fotos, food, and fashion... highly informative... recently started dreaming of getting a beautiful girl as his life-partner...

Gajendra: known for his witty humor and take-it-easy lifestyle... doing research on viral dynamics, ranging from bird-flu to HIV... let's see what will be the outcome of his research...

Anjaneyulu: typical filmy-lover hailing from guntur... eagerly waiting for some producer to prove his directing abilities... his physique suits his name... gigantic in style, and magnanimous by nature...

Kalyan: looks can be deceptive... one of the highly confused... known for the massive transportation skills on his bazaz bulldozer... he is the one whom i've tortured during my stay at IISc...

Alok: this half-smiling 27year old boy works as scientist at DRDO... recently caught with phonomania, spending at least 6 hours per day chatting with his would-be wife... god bless that girl ;-)

Mahendra: short man with greatest power... incredibly charming and alarmingly regular with his routine... never deviates from the track... all of us are waiting to go to his marriage...

Mathew: yeah... here is our Mr.M... highly notorious for his PJ's... sincere at work and simple at heart... truly jovial company... heading to BPCL to take rest for a couple of years...

Arun: Mr. Crack Jack... a person hard to decipher... his passion for exploring of technical knowledge is adorable... eating brains, watching naruto, and solving sudoku are his passions...

Aarthi: truly inspiring... stubborn in a notoriously positive way... one of the very few who made a permanent impression on me... truly genuine scientist in her own way... 32-bit smile is her trade mark ;-)

Krishna: intelligence blended with absent-mindedness... this fellow ranks the first who tortured me for the last two years... i often wonder how nothing but technical junk stays in his brain!!!

That's all about my batchmates in a nutshell... i am still unable to believe that our masters program has already completed... and all of have started our journey to different corners of the country to live the real life... shifting from protected zone to self-protecting zone... five/ten years down the line, hopefully, some of us will be hailing as eminent personalities!!!

EARTHLINGS!!!

yesterday, i watched this documentary EARTHLINGS shown in our centre for ecological sciences... the documentary is all about how we, human beings are exploiting animals for different needs... food, meat, companionship etc... the whole documentary is divided into five different sections... i couldn't watch the whole documentary... in fact, i was really startled to see the way those animals are butchered/murdered just for fulfilling the food requirements of mankind... those are not even given anaesthesia before butchering... a documentary worth watching... i bet, anybody sensible enough can't eat non-vegetarian food with that liking after watching this documentary... it is really sickening to know that millions of animals are killed daily in USA itself just for supply of food...

PS: i've strongly decided to be vegetarian from now onwards!!! watch this documentary, and i bet you will feel the same!!!

Two more friends!!!

i've got two more friends... one is rubik's revenge and the other is professor's cube... while it took one month for me to solve rubik's cube (3X3), it is taking days just to do two colors on professor's cube...

important thing to note here is that i didn't buy any of these two... professor's cube is sent by Praphul after seeing my post on rubik's revenge... it's a nice feeling to know that there are people who are willing to spend money for somebody whom they don't even know personally... thanks a lot Mr.Praphul... i owe you a treat... not just for the professor's cube, but also for those long philosophical discussions through mails... and for proving that money doesn't matter but the intentions do matter!!!

rubik's revenge is sent by deepika, my friend and philosopher... thanks a lot buddy! you made my hours busy with this cute gift!!! let me see how many days i will take to solve these things :-)

expressions!!!

hmmm... looks beautiful!

this one is really nice!!!

amazing!!!

oops!

baap re!!!

pchhh...

there comes another one!!!

PS: These are the expressions given by the author during one of those bird-watching hours at the tea-board of our institute. Thanks to the photographer Krishna.

five minutes with Mr.M...

Mr.G was sitting on the steps beside the walkway near his hostels... he is looking a little gloomy and pondering over something... he saw Mr.M walking towards him and waved his hand... and, here goes the conversation between the two...

Mr.M: hi G, what r u doing here?
Mr.G: feeling bored man... i don't know what to do (sounding really sad)
Mr.M: OK! answer this... there are five bananas and an elephant... but the elephant is not eating those bananas... why?
Mr.G: (thought for a while to find few of the infinite set of possibilities) may be the elephant is not feeling hungry!
Mr.M: no... you are wrong... the bananas are not real... they are plastic!
Mr.G: Oh!
Mr.M: OK then... let's suppose that the bananas are real this time... but, still the elephant is not eating those... why?
Mr.G: (trying to give a clever answer this time) May be the elephant is still thinking that those are plastic...
Mr.M: you are again wrong... this time, the elephant is plastic...
Mr.G: oh, come on... this is cheating!!!
Mr.M: OK then, this time both elephant and bananas are real... but, still the elephant is not eating those bananas... why?
Mr.G: (going back to his first answer) this time, the elephant is not hungry... this should be the correct answer, at least...
Mr.M: again, you are wrong... this time, the elephant is in TV and the bananas are on the table... huh huh...
Mr.G: oh man, you are incredible...
Mr.M: OK then, this time both the elephant and the bananas are inside TV... but, still the elephant is not eating those bananas... why?
Mr.G: (he is very much serious about answering the question correctly) may be the picture is shot like that, and the director of the movie has given the elephant enough food so that it keeps away from the bananas... (G is feeling relieved thinking that his lengthy answer could be right!)
Mr.M: why did you think it so complicated? after all, the bananas and the elephant are in different channels.
Mr.G: oops! you are mind blowing!!! (cursing M inside)
Mr.M: OK then, this time both the elephant and the bananas are inside TV and on the same channel... but, still the elephant is not eating the bananas... why?
Mr.G: (growing impatient but still trying to give a correct answer) the TV might be put on pause!
Mr.M: No... you are again wrong... the TV is actually switched off!
Mr.G: Oho... i couldn't answer even a single question of yours... let me ask you a similar question..
Mr M: that sounds like a good idea, carry on!
Mr.G: there are four elephants swimming in a pool... an enthusiastic person like Mr.M dived into the water and counted the legs... but, the total came out to be twelve... how is it possible?
Mr.M: (thought for a while and answers) may be the elephants are a special kind having only three legs each!
Mr.G: you are wrong! one of the elephants is doing backstroke!
Mr.M: no, this is cheating... how can an elephant backstroke?
Mr.G: when elephants can actually go and swim in a pool, why can't one of those do backstroke? it is equally possible.
Mr.M: hmm... okay! i agree...
Mr.G: (smiles his way) chalo then, it's time for a tea... let's to go gymcafe!

PS: Finally, Mr.G understood that "when you are actually bored, you need somebody like Mr.M to chat with".

how human are we?

It was a gloomy Saturday afternoon. A flock of birds was spending great time searching for food and playing on the main road. Out of the sudden, a big truck sped through... sad thing had happened again.

Birds can feel too. Although this bird had already died, another bird flew over to her immediately, just like a family member, unable to accept the truth.

Not long after that, another car stormed in causing the dead bird's body to whirl with the wind. The spouse noticed the movement. As if she was still alive, he quickly flew beside her again.

He stayed beside her and yelled ... "WHY ARE YOU NOT GETTING UP!?"

Unfortunately, she's no longer able to hear him. In the meantime, he's trying to lift her up.

He, of course, was unable to bear the burden. Another car soon passed by. He quickly flew off. Once the car had gone, he came down again.

Although other birds told him its useles, he never gave up. He was trying his best to lift her up to see her flying again. Another car passed by, her dead body whirled again as if still alive and trying to fly.

He had used all of his energy, however...

The photographer said he couldn't shoot any longer. The photographer was so worried that the living bird was going to get hurt by passing cars. So he picked up the dead bird and left it at the roadside. The live one still lingered at a nearby tree as if crying with his singing and refused to leave.

Do humans have the same feelings nowadays? I wonder.

PS: This was a mail sent by one of my friends. Two days back, I was walking to Yeshwantapur along with Krishna to eat bajji's there. We found a deadbody of an orphan woman lying beside the road. Many people (that includes both of us) were there, simply taking a look and walking away. Policemen were taking photographs for their official records. I wish we can do something to avoid this kind of happenings in our society, than just walking away!!!

a cup of coffee with "my fair lady"

I have been dining in the same A-mess of our institute since last 22 months... It is always fun to eat that so called food, which is actually like a dried grass, while doing all sorts of blabbering... and bird-watching too... here is where I found this girl (with short curly hair, cat eyes, head always turning all sides as if there is no steering control, a charming smile always on her face, and of course, that hasty walk)... i refer to her as 'my fair lady'... so, there i am watching her since my first semester... that means, almost from 22 months... many times, i wanted to go to her and tell "you are the most energetic girl i have ever seen"... but, no good luck :-(

we are left with only a months period to stay here at iisc... i am scared i will never be able to tell her those words... the other night, i was walking from my department to the hostels, where i found her walking ahead of me... i thought of asking her for a coffee... oh god, she is so cute... i started walking faster so as to reduce the distance between us... we reached the F&H coffee shop near the hostels... just when i was about to ask her, she turned around and found me... (she knew that i was looking at her since so many days... every time she catches me red-handed, she kills me with a tinge of smile... making me more and more dumb)... those words have stopped inside myself... all i could do was to pretend as if i was looking this side and that... oops! i screwed that chance...

can somebody tell me how to ask her for a cup of coffee :-)